TulsaPeople / December 2011 / Let’s play together

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Let’s play together

The Tulsa Camerata, Tulsa’s newest chamber music group, brings small ensembles of musicians together to pack a big musical punch.

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Add another local chamber group to your entertainment list — the Tulsa Camerata.

The word comes from Italian and means “comrade.”

And that’s just what this 2-year-old group seems to have in mind with its mixed format of classical and modern music and its interest in arts collaboration.

The concept started two years ago when Jesus Villarreal moved from Chicago to Tulsa with his wife, Liza. While playing double bass with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra and the Signature Symphony, Villarreal realized Tulsa did not have an organized chamber music group with a mixed ensemble.

This inspired him to start the Tulsa Camerata. The group, for which he serves as executive director, is now in its second season.

In the 16th century, around the time of the Italian Renaissance, the term “camerata” was used to describe groups of artists, musicians, writers and intellectuals gathering to talk about the arts.

Villarreal says he chose the name because the Tulsa group uses multiple disciplines to share music.

Chamber music, as Villarreal says, “is not exclusive to a string quartet.” The group typically plays with fewer than 15 musicians.

Although chamber music is not a fully defined genre, Villarreal describes it as “smaller ensembles with mixed instrumentation.”

Liza Villarreal, also a founding musician of the new organization, grew up in Tulsa and was familiar with the array of talent around the city. These relationships helped her and Jesus develop an ensemble of dependable musicians. 

“These Tulsa musicians are some of the best I have ever worked with,” she says.

Jesus Villarreal says they do not like to be exclusive and choose musicians based on chemistry.

Additionally, the group does not limit itself to classical music but also promotes modern music, he says. The Tulsa Camerata’s October concert included a modern work from University of Tulsa professor W. Roger Price. At each concert, the group aims to offer a variety of music and include a piece from either the 20th or 21st century.

“The purpose is to put on high-quality chamber music,” Villarreal says.

The Tulsa Camerata also promotes and collaborates with other local artists.

As part of the final concert of its inaugural season, the group performed Stravinsky’s “The Solider’s Tale.” Actor Dan McGeehan narrated, and dancers from Tulsa’s Portico Dans Theatre also performed.

“We want to work with other music groups and other arts like visual and performance arts,” Villarreal says.

They look forward to working with groups such as Living Arts of Tulsa and Chamber Music Tulsa.

Villarreal sees the Tulsa Camerata as a positive influence in Tulsa. 

“(Tulsa Camerata) is a progressive voice for the arts in the community,” he says. “It’s just going to grow and grow.”

Catch the Tulsa Camerata at 7 p.m., Dec. 15, at All Souls Unitarian Church’s Emerson Hall, 2952 S. Peoria Ave. Advance tickets are $15 or $5 for students and seniors; day-of tickets are $20 or $5 for students and seniors.

The performance, “Chamber Virtuosi,” will include music from Vivaldi, Johannes Matthias Sperger, Schumann, Franz Waxman and Bach. The guest artist for the Tulsa Camerata’s second season is Petronel Malan, who has been nominated for three Grammy Awards and has been a gold medalist in several international piano competitions.

For more information about the Tulsa Camerata or to buy tickets, visit www.tulsacamerata.org.

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